Going on vacation to Bali is pure enjoyment. Bali is really affordable, there’s a lot to do, and it’s incredibly beautiful. When you think of Bali, picture green rice terraces, temples, white beaches, volcanoes, friendly locals, and not to forget, the delicious food. It’s no wonder Bali is one of the most popular long-distance vacation destinations in South-East Asia. If you want to go on vacation to Bali, this article will definitely help you. Here you will find everything you need to know in advance, and you’ll see how easy it is to arrange your vacation to Bali yourself.

What’s better: Arranging everything yourself or booking a package trip?

If you don’t have much travel experience, you may be used to booking your vacations as package trips. This means you book your flight and hotel all at once through a travel organization or agency. This can be convenient because you don’t have to arrange anything yourself, but for a destination like Bali, it can actually be a lot of fun to plan your vacation yourself. Planning isn’t that much work, and this way, you can visit multiple places and certainly get more out of your vacation days. Plus, it’s often much cheaper! Bali is an ideal destination for a little road trip where you visit different locations.

Due to the relatively short distances, it’s not a hassle at all, and your vacation remains very relaxing. For example, you could spend a few days in the inland areas of Bali to visit the rice fields and waterfalls, then end up at a beach destination in the south of Bali. With many package trips, you only stay in one place, which is a shame because Bali has so much beauty to offer. Further down, you’ll find out exactly how to put your vacation together, but first, let’s see what you need to arrange in advance.

 

What should you arrange in advance for your vacation to Bali?

Bali is a long-distance vacation destination, so you will need to prepare yourself a bit more than if you were going on vacation to Spain, for example. The following points are important to keep in mind.

• Visa for Indonesia – Citizens from the USA and of most European countries can visit Bali (and all of Indonesia) without arranging a visa in advance. Upon arrival at the airport, you’ll receive a visa on arrival for a small fee. This allows you to stay in the country for 30 days. The only requirements are that your passport must be valid for at least 7 months upon arrival and that you have a return ticket to another country within 30 days of your arrival. You can obtain your visa on arrival at the airport, but you often have to wait in a long line for it. Alternatively, you can arrange it online in advance. Please note that this policy can change per country.
• Vaccinations for Bali – For a vacation to Bali, vaccinations against DTP and hepatitis A are recommended. If you have been in a yellow fever country 7 days prior to your arrival, you will also need a yellow fever vaccination. Yellow fever countries are only located in South America and Africa.
• Financial matters – In Bali, you will pay mostly with cash, and there’s usually an ATM nearby. They use the Indonesian rupiah. Each time you withdraw cash, you’ll incur a fee of a few dollars, so it’s wise to withdraw a larger amount each time. Don’t forget to enable global use on your bank card at home; otherwise, you won’t be able to withdraw cash in Bali.

 

What about safety in Bali?

Bali is a very safe vacation destination where you can walk around everywhere both during the day and at night. The people are extremely friendly, and you really don’t have to worry about anything in that regard.

How does transportation work in Bali?

Traveling between destinations in Bali is best done by taxi. Public transportation is very limited. You can use the taxi apps Grab or Gojek. For an hour in a taxi, you often pay less than $20. Through these apps, you can order both car taxis and scooter taxis.

What is the best time to travel for a vacation to Bali?

The best time to visit Bali is between April and October. This is the dry season, when you have the highest chance of sunny days. December, January, and February are the wettest months. July and August are peak season due to the summer vacation. It’s busier in Bali during this time, so it’s wise to book your accommodations extra early. Our favorite months for a vacation in Bali are May and June. During these months, it’s still quite calm, reasonably cool in the evenings, and prices are lower than during peak season. September and October are also good months to avoid peak season, but it can be a bit warmer then.

What places are nice to visit in Bali?

If you want to visit multiple places during your vacation in Bali, it’s advisable to allocate about three to four days for each destination. We have a Bali itinerary mapped out that you can use as a template or adjust for your needs. We have visited Bali five times and have learned to find all the fun places. We’ve packaged these tips into a whole series of articles. In these articles, you can read about what to do, where to eat well, how to get there, and which accommodations are good. Check out all our tips for Bali.

Ubud is located inland and is a fantastic destination for those looking to be active. You can find rice terraces, temples, and waterfalls here, as well as participate in many activities. The neighboring islands Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida are about a 30-45 minute boat ride away. These are two completely different islands, but both are incredibly beautiful to visit. On Nusa Lembongan, you can unwind completely, while Nusa Penida offers more adventure. If you want to enjoy delicious food, fun parties, and maybe take a surfing lesson, then Canggu is the place to be. Uluwatu is another popular destination in southern Bali, where you’ll find the island’s most beautiful beaches. Looking to escape the crowds? Then Munduk comes highly recommended.

How to Arrange Your Vacation to Bali!

The advantage of planning your own vacation is that you will never overpay and you have complete freedom. You can choose how long you want to stay at each destination, which places you want to visit, and in which accommodations you want to stay. For a vacation to Bali, you need to arrange four things: your flight tickets, hotels, transportation, and an itinerary. You can easily search for and book flight tickets yourself via sites like Cheaptickets.nl. You don’t need to arrange transportation between destinations in advance; you can take care of that at your hotel. You can easily create your itinerary based on our itinerary, and you can simply book and compare hotels via Booking.com. To make it easier for you, we’ve compiled our favorite hotels in Bali by destination. Curious about all our articles with things to do in Bali? Then check out our Indonesia page.